Springfield Twp. man who called 911 to make threats while fleeing police sent to prison

A Springfield Township man who led police on a wee-hours vehicle chase around Toledo last summer while repeatedly calling 911 with threats to shoot himself or others has been ordered to prison for two years.

“For nearly an hour, you endangered the lives of the citizens of Toledo and the officers in this pursuit,” Judge Linda Jennings told Joshua Leasure, 37, of the 2100 block of Kingston Drive, before sentencing him Tuesday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

Leasure had pleaded no contest to a single count of failure to obey an officer’s signal, a third-degree felony.

Under a plea agreement, separate charges of failure to obey an officer’s signal and obstruction of justice from the same day and of grand theft-auto from six days later were dismissed.

The incident occurred about 1 a.m. July 13 with Lucas County sheriff’s deputies chasing Leasure into Toledo, after which city police took over.

During the pursuit, police said, Leasure called 911 to state he had a gun and would shoot himself or shoot out a window. He later called with additional threats including that he might deliberately collide head-on with another vehicle.

The threats prompted commanders to authorize more police vehicles’ involvement and the use of a “pit maneuver” to stop Leasure’s vehicle. The maneuver was successfully executed in the 4600 block of Dorr Street, and Leasure was arrested.

Judge Jennings gave him credit for 127 days served, but also noted that he had a prior failure-to-comply conviction from Michigan last year.